A Georgia physician has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States in a scheme involving fraudulent Medicare billing for unnecessary genetic testing. Dr. Marion Lee, 62, of Cordele, Georgia, entered his plea on October 8, 2025, according to an announcement from Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
Court documents show that Lee was co-owner and medical advisor at Luminus Diagnostics in Tifton, Georgia. He conspired with others to obtain orders for genetic tests in exchange for kickbacks. Some of these orders were acquired through telemedicine services. The group designed order forms with prepopulated diagnosis codes and check-box panels to make them easy to complete falsely. They often submitted claims through another laboratory located in the Eastern District of Louisiana because they believed those claims would be more likely approved.
The co-conspirators hid their actions using a sham contract and other deceptive methods. In total, they caused the submission of over $24 million in false claims to Medicare for genetic testing; Medicare paid out about $4 million based on those claims. As part of his plea agreement, Lee agreed to pay more than $4 million in restitution to Medicare.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 18, 2026 before Judge Lance M. Africk. Lee faces up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment, a fine as high as $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson acknowledged the investigative work by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Fraud Coordinator, and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters, of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, are in charge of the prosecution.”
